


Life's About Changing

by hermitpanda



Series: Profiles & Pineapples [1]
Category: Criminal Minds, Psych
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-05
Updated: 2017-04-05
Packaged: 2018-10-15 03:52:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10549622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hermitpanda/pseuds/hermitpanda
Summary: Spencer had figured that he might see his aunt more often now that his father had left, but he hadn’t expected his mother to tell him that she was shipping him off to Santa Barbara, California to spend the entire summer with Karen Vick and her husband.





	

**Author's Note:**

> New short story series! It was prompted by the realization that Jane Lynch plays Reid's mother on Criminal Minds and played Chief Vick's sister on Psych. So mush the two together and you get this. Not sure how I'll handle Timothy Omundson playing Dowd on Criminal Minds (the guy Reid shot in the head while being held hostage in the ER with Hotch) and Lassie on Psych. 
> 
>  
> 
> **Note: There's no slash in this story but in future installments of this series there will be Reid/Hotch and Shawn/Lassie slash.**
> 
>  
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds, Psych, or the characters of either show. I'm just borrowing them.

“I don’t want to go.” Spencer pouted at his mother. He followed her through their house as she gathered items that she deemed necessary for him to pack to go visit his aunt. He remembered meeting his mother’s younger sister once. She had traveled to Vegas to meet him when he was five. It was the only time he had ever interacted with the woman. His aunt and his father had despised each other with a passion. It should have been a sign of what was to come that his father was unwilling to make peace with his wife’s sister, her best friend despite their eight year age gap. They hadn’t even attended Karen’s wedding the summer before. Spencer had figured that he might see his aunt more often now that his father had left, but he hadn’t expected his mother to tell him that she was shipping him off to Santa Barbara, California to spend the entire summer with Karen Vick and her husband.

Diana dropped the pile of books, Spencer’s extra glasses, and plastic baggies full of carrot and celery sticks on his bed. “Spencer, I know you don’t want to go, but I need to you to go. Karen and her husband will take really good care of you, and I can focus on taking care of myself. Please, Baby. Please don’t fight me on this.”

He crossed his arms, watching her pack nearly all of his clothing into a pair of mismatched suitcases. She carefully split all of the books that she had picked out for him to take with him in half weight-wise. He knew she was doing it so that neither suitcase would be too heavy to lift. She tucked his spare glasses and the bags of snacks into his duffel bag. “What if I run out of books?”

“Karen lives two blocks from the library. She promised me that first thing when you get there, she’s going to get you your library card.” Diana stroked a shaky hand over her son’s hair. She knew that Karen would probably argue with the boy about cutting it. Her sister had always accused her of being a bit bohemian. She closed the suitcases and drug them to wait by the front door.

“I’ll miss you. What if I come home but you’re not here anymore?” Spencer wrapped lanky arms around his mother’s middle. Tears made their way down his face. He pressed his face against her, breathing in her comforting scent. Every night since his father had left he had suffered nightmares that his mother would also leave him. He was terrified that when she realized that he was the reason his dad had left that she would hate him.

She squeezed him so tightly that it was painful, but he didn’t care. “I love you more than anything else in the world. I will never, ever leave you like your father did. Only my illness would ever take me away from you. If it did, your Aunt Karen would keep you.” She swallowed the lump in her throat when she saw a sedan pull to the curb in front of the house. Her sister stepped out of the driver’s seat. “I want you to write me every day. Every single day. I’ll write back on my good days.”

“Okay, Mom.” Spencer snuffled and looked around for something to wipe the snot that had run from his nose. His mom produced a package of tissues from the pocket of her bathrobe just as he was about to resort to swiping it away with the back of his hand. He blew his nose while he watched his aunt and her husband cross their sun-burnt lawn. His aunt moved like the cop that she was with a quick stride and an obvious sense of purpose. Her husband’s long legs kept pace with the woman easily but he reminded Spencer of the laid back surfers he sometimes saw in movies. He even had the shaggy blond hair that seemed to be a requirement for fictional surfers. 

“Karen, thank you. So much. I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate this.” Diana hugged her sister. 

The younger woman squeezed her before stepping back. “Di, I am here for you always. This is my husband, Richard. Rich, this is my sister Diana and her son Spencer.” 

Richard extended his hand to his sister-in-law and then to his nephew in turn. He had a quick smile that helped make Spencer feel at ease. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, though I wish that the circumstances were different.”

“You, too.” Diana said.

“Why don’t you help me load your bags in the car, Spencer? Let the ladies talk.” Richard reached for the two suitcases just inside the door. The boy nodded silently and followed behind him with his duffel bag. They lingered by the car. “So you’re going to be in high school next fall?” 

Spencer nodded and stared at the ground. “I keep testing out of grades.” 

“Awesome. Maybe when you decide to go to college you can attend UC Santa Barbara. It’s not too far from the house.” Richard leaned back against the car and crossed his arms. He tilted his face up towards the sun.

“I haven’t really thought about college yet.” Spencer dug the toe of his sneaker into the sand that had drifted across the sidewalk.

Richard clapped him on the shoulder gently. “You got time. You should go give your mom another hug before we roll.” He nudged him gently as Karen started back towards them. 

Spencer nodded and hurried over. He wrapped his arms around his mother. She kissed the top of his head. “Be a good boy for Karen and Richard. Don’t forget to write me, will you?”

“I won’t. I love you.” He mumbled with his face pressed against her body. 

She squeezed him quickly before releasing him. She hesitated a moment before walking him to the car. “I want you to have fun this summer.” 

He nodded solemnly. “I will.” He slid into the backseat next to his backpack. Richard walked around to the driver’s seat while Karen slid into the passenger seat. He returned his mother’s wave as they pulled away from the curb.

“Are you hungry, Spencer? We’re going to hit McDonald’s before we get back on the highway.” Karen turned in her seat to smile back at him.

“McDonald’s is okay,” he said softly before kneeling on the seat to watch out the back window as his mother shrank out of sight.

**Author's Note:**

> The title of the story comes from the song "How Can I Help You Say Goodbye" performed by Patty Loveless and written by Karen Taylor-Good and Burton Banks Collins. I had the first verse stuck in my head while writing this story. [Here's the video.](https://youtu.be/z4F_cXGQN9k)


End file.
